Timberwolves erupt without Ant, rout Thunder
Even without Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves haven't missed a beat.
On Friday night, the Timberwolves used a big second quarter to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder and pick up their fourth win in the past five games.
With Edwards missing his second straight game due to his ailing knee, there were plenty of players to pick up the slack. The obvious candidate was Karl-Anthony Towns, who put up 20 points and eight rebounds to lead Minnesota early.
But although the Timberwolves played well in the first quarter, they took it to another level in the second. Minnesota dropped 45 points in the second frame and scored on their final 15 possessions.
With the Timberwolves unconscious on the floor, six players scored in double figures. That included Naz Reid, who enjoyed a perfect night from the floor (8-for-8) on his way to 20 points off the bench.
Minnesota's performance on offense was so dominant, the Thunder resorted to sending their ball boys onto the court to try to stop them. But in the end, the Timberwolves put up their second-highest point total of the night and cruised to victory.
The Timberwolves (35-29) climbed within two games of the Denver Nuggets for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota will continue its playoff push when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.
